Eminem publisher sues Meta, claiming unlicensed use of rapper's music on Facebook

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2 days ago

Eminem publisher sues Meta, claiming unlicensed use of rapper's music on Facebook
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The lawsuit contends Meta maintains online music libraries with Eminem songs supplied to the public for user posts without proper licensing.
The Eminem music has been deployed "across millions of videos, which have been viewed billions of times," reads the complaint.
Eminem's song publisher has sued the digital giant Meta, claiming the company behind Facebook and Instagram failed to properly secure licensing for music by the Detroit rapper.
The lawsuit, filed May 30 by Eight Mile Style in a Detroit federal court, contends Meta maintains online music libraries with Eminem songs supplied to the public for user posts.
Works include hits such as "'Till I Collapse," which is among the 243 Eminem songs administered by Eight Mile Style.
The filing states previous outreach from Eight Mile Style to Meta prompted the social media company to remove Eminem tracks such as "Lose Yourself" from its libraries, although karaoke and instrumental versions of that song remain available, according to the suit.
Eminem's music has been deployed "across millions of videos, which have been viewed billions of times," reads the complaint.
Eminem is not a direct party in the suit. A Meta spokesperson reached by the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Eight Mile Style alleges Meta committed several forms of copyright infringement. It is seeking yet-to-be-determined monetary damages, based on Meta's advertising profits, or statutory copyright damages, along with a permanent injunction against the company's use of Eminem songs.
The lawsuit argues that Meta isn't merely allowing posters to include Eminem music in user-generated content – it is "actively encouraging" them by featuring the songs in its libraries.
Eight Mile Style says the songs are made available for user posts on Facebook, remixes on Instagram Reels and content on the Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp. Algorithms directly promote the music to users via "For You" and "Trending" categories, the suit claims.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta accessed the songs through a 2020 arrangement with the New York digital licensing firm Audiam, which had previously worked with Eight Mile Style. In this situation, the complaint says Audiam was not authorized by the Michigan company to enter into an agreement with Meta for Eminem's music.
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"Meta's years-long and ongoing infringement of the Eight Mile Compositions is another case of a trillion (with a 'T') dollar company exploiting the creative efforts of musical artists for the obscene monetary benefit of its executives and shareholders without a license and without regard to the rights of the owners of the intellectual property," reads the complaint.
Eight Mile Style, which was co-founded by Eminem's early production team the Bass Brothers, oversees Eminem's catalog of songs published between 1995 and 2005, including releases up through the album "Encore."
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The Michigan company has aggressively guarded against copyright infringement through the years, most notably in the digital sphere, including high-profile litigation with Apple and Spotify.
Facebook was named in a 2013 lawsuit by Eight Mile Style, which alleged the social media service simulated the Eminem track "Under the Influence" in an ad spot. That dispute was settled out of court.
The new Meta suit contends that Eminem's compositions "are some of the most valuable in the world, and Eight Mile Style is very protective of these iconic songs."
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: [e-mail].